Deux
by stardusted-dream
Summary: AU. Lord Voldemort never existed, or at least, he has yet to exist. Harry Potter begins his first year at Hogwarts, where he forms a tentative friendship with a young orphan named Tom Riddle…
1. Prologue

**Deux  
**_Prologue_

_**Summary**__: Lord Voldemort never existed, or at least, he has yet to exist. Harry Potter begins his first year at Hogwarts, where he forms a tentative friendship with a young orphan named Tom Riddle…_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not nor do I claim any right to any of the recognizable characters or places in this story. They are the property of J. K. Rowling et al._

_**Author's Notes**__: Hi! So this is my first Harry Potter fic. I apologize right now: Harry is going to be a bit of a prat at the beginning. This fic is AU and the setting of everything is different, so obviously people and their relationships have been changed. And Harry is spoiled and a bit full of himself. That being said, enjoy! Oh, and please excuse my terrible writing; it's been years since I've written anything (that includes papers for school) or had to communicate in text. Engineer you know. So I'm very, very rusty._

_--_

"It's here! It's here! Mum, it's finally here!" Harry's jewel-green eyes sparkled as he bounced down the stairs and into the living room where a dusty grey-brown owl was currently perching on the arms of one of the plush white chairs, a single white envelope in its claws. Harry gleefully snatched the letter from owl before plopping himself down on the nearest seat.

The owl gave a hoot of indignation at the boy's actions. It then seemed to decide that Harry was unlikely to pay it any attention so it switched. The owl hopped closer towards Lily, eyeing her expectantly.

Lily scowled at the creature; she could clearly see the dingy grey talon prints it was tracking all over her chairs. And she'd just cleaned the chairs earlier that day! Muttering under her breath, Lily silently summoned a small owl treat and offered it to the dirty creature. The owl gave Lily what she took to be a smug look before hooting and flying off. Lily scowled again. She wished owls were cleaner; it would save her so much trouble. With a quick flick of her wrist, the chairs were clean again.

"I'm so proud of you sweetie." Lily cooed at her darling son. Harry was her only child and the person she doted upon most. She was fiercely proud that he would be attending Hogwarts.

Harry looked up from his letter and beamed at his mother. Lily beamed back.

"When Father returns, can we celebrate? Please?" Green eyes looked at Lily imploringly. How could she resist him? A celebration was certainly in order. She would even perhaps permit him sweets. Lily usually forbade Harry from indulging in too many sweets since the child had a tendency to gorge until he was sick, but this was a special occasion.

"Of course sweetie! I'll let him know you got your letter today." Lily hoped her husband would return soon. James Potter was head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and as such he often would be called in during the weekends. James didn't need to work as much as he did, Lily knew. The Potter family was well off. But James cared a lot about being an Auror.

"Thanks Mum!" Harry went back to rereading his letter, a peaceful smile on his face. He had been anticipating this moment for a long time now.

--

This was not how'd he'd imagined it. When Harry had wanted to go out and celebrate, he'd meant with his parents and godfather. But somehow his parents had taken it to mean a big celebration.

"Oy Arreh, pass the salt would ya?" Harry looked over to see the grinning face of Hagrid peering at him. Harry smiled in return and reached out for the salt in front of him. His dad had somehow managed to invite everyone somehow associated with Hogwarts! Currently present there were the Longbottoms (current Aurors with a son the same year as Harry), Professor Hagrid (current Care of Magical Creatures professor), Harry's Parents, the remaining Marauders, the Weasleys (Harry had never met them before but they also had a son the same year as him), Professor McGonagall (Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts), and in addition, Severus Snape (Potions professor) who was cowering in a corner glaring at everyone while speaking only to Lily and the last invitee, Regulus Black. Harry sighed as the adults kept talking about their time at Hogwarts. This was not how he'd imagined it at all.

"I have an announcement to make!" Sirius caught Harry's attention when he stood in the middle of the table. Harry wanted to laugh; the waiters did not look very pleased with this predicament. Of course, Sirius ignored the dirty looks.

"I, Sirius Black, will be the new Defense Against Dark Arts professor!" Sirius bowed amidst polite clapping, loud cheering, and looks of horror. Harry's eyes lit up. Of everyone Harry knew Sirius had always been amongst Harry's favorite people. Hogwarts was looking better and better! He could barely wait for school to begin. Or at least for this 'celebration' to end. Harry almost rolled his eyes as the adults kept talking.

--

"Blimey, I thought I was going to die from being talked at in there." Harry sighed dramatically. His companion, Neville Longbottom, simply laughed.

Harry liked Neville well enough. The two of them had known each other for a good while, Harry's father and Neville's parents being in the same line of work and all. Their mutual occupations meant Harry and Neville often ended up attending the same events. And being the only ones of their age, the two had formed a shaky friendship. To Harry, Neville was nice enough, but at the same time, he could be so boring. It wasn't that Neville never had anything interesting to say, it was more that he was always too afraid to break rules. And Harry lived to break rules. But Neville more than made up for it with his gentleness, kindness, and steadfast loyalty.

"You know how they can be," Neville smiled at Harry. Harry made a face and Neville laughed again.

"Yeah, they're completely self-centered! This isn't about them, this is about us! Merlin knows why they're hogging the spotlight." Neville just shook his head, covering his grin with his hand.

The two boys had come to an understanding early in their lives. Every time there was a gathering, one of the boys (namely Harry) would cause a distraction and the two of them would slip away. That way they were able to play and have fun without being constantly chastised about their behaviors. They would always return before their parents were any the wiser.

Harry and Neville walked peacefully through Diagon Alley. It was still early evening, but the area wasn't very crowded. Harry walked closer towards Quality Quidditch Supplies to peer into the window when he ran into someone.

"Oomph," Harry grunted. He glanced over to see who had knocked him over, only to see a scowling dark-haired boy.

"Watch where you're going," the boy spat at him.

Harry blinked a few times, eyes never leaving the boy in front of him. Then it seemed to dawn upon Harry that he'd ran into the other boy. He flushed a little and hastily picked himself up with Neville's assistance.

"I'm sorry." Harry held his hand out to the dark boy. The boy seemed to stare at it for a second before accepting it and allowing himself to be hoisted up.

"That's fine," the boy nodded.

"My name is Harry Potter, and this is my friend Neville." Harry felt a strange interest in the other boy; almost similar to a connection. There was something about the dark boy that drew Harry in.

The other boy's eyes darted between Harry and his companion before nodding. "Tom. I'm Tom Riddle."

Before Harry could say anything more, a familiar figure was in the background shouting: "Tom!"

Tom turned around, caught one glance of the man and scowled. The old man soon caught up to the group boys, eyes twinkling.

"Why hello there Harry, Neville."

"Hello Headmaster Dumbledore," the two boys said in unison, glancing at each other. The old man's eyes twinkled at them before sombering as he looked at Tom.

"Well, we best be off. I need to drop Tom back off home, and I'm sure you two best be off finding you parents!"

Tom sneered at the old man before his eyes flickered back to meet Harry's.

"It was nice meeting you two," he whispered, eyes never faltering from Harry's.

"It was nice meeting you too!" Harry distantly heard his companion respond. He himself said nothing, simply nodding in response. _We will meet again_, Harry thought to no one in particular.

"Bye Harry! Bye Neville!" Dumbledore called as he grabbed his charge and disapparated. Harry just kept watching the spot Tom Riddle had once stood, ignoring Neville's calls to him.

--

Yay! Prologue done! I had to write this a few times because the first couple of times, Harry seemed a bit too spoiled. It's a bit shorter than intended but it's a prologue and I really just wanted to introduce Harry and have him meet with Tom for the first time! I've been busy daydreaming of these characters for a while, sort of playing with the relationships and personalities in my head. We'll see how this goes however! Feel free to let me know any thoughts.

stardusted


	2. Chapter 1: Misguided Perceptions

**Deux  
**_Chapter 1: Misguided Perceptions_

_**Summary**__: Lord Voldemort never existed, or at least, he has yet to exist. Harry Potter begins his first year at Hogwarts, where he forms a tentative friendship with a young orphan named Tom Riddle…_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not nor do I claim any right to any of the recognizable characters or places in this story. They are the property of J. K. Rowling et al._

_**Author's Notes**__: Nothing to say really. This story will be updated as often as I can. This means more during the summer/various breaks and less during the school year. Hopefully about one every week or two for my breaks and once a month during the school year. I do work fulltime during the summer though, so keep that in mind. This chapter is mostly just fluff; I'm trying to detail a bit of Harry's relationships and personality before delving more into the plot. I'm actually sort of writing blindly here. I don't know where this story is going perse, if anything it's more of a story about the relationship between two people destined for greatness Oh, and I'm looking for a beta perhaps to help me read over everything._

"Severus!" Harry watched as his mother walked over and embraced her best friend, a gentle smile at her lips. Severus' face held his usual sneer but it melted away at Lily's touch.

"Lily." Harry heard Severus whisper softly into his mother's ear. The older man smiled for the briefest of seconds as he gently hugged her back. Then the two friends pulled away and Severus wordlessly straightened his robes.

"Harry." He nodded curtly at the young boy. Harry nodded back. Harry often saw Severus with his mother. The two dated back towards Hogwarts and had remained close friends even after Lily's marriage to James.

Today, they were taking Harry shopping for his school supplies. James was once again preoccupied with Ministry business. Harry was used to it; even in times of peace like it was, James' job was demanding, and it was important to him that he met those demands. It had been decades since the entire Wizarding world had been in turmoil, the last time having been Grindelwald. Many people attributed it to Dumbledore's post as head of Hogwarts. There had, however, been smaller scale dark wizard problems. James was currently dealing with the aftermath of a dark witch by the name of Calliope Caspicus. She and a few associates had taken to abducting and killing the children of squibs throughout the English countryside. It had been a group of five witches, though the exact identities of all five had yet not been identified. Calliope was known simply because she had been at the forefront. She had been captured, however her four friends were on the run and still very much a threat. James had been on this case, along with a number of others, for a year now; the Auror forces were smaller during peacetimes and things moved slowly within the bureaucracy of the Ministry. This was one of the few cases Harry knew about however. The majority of cases his father worked on were highly classified and they kept James away often.

Harry trailed behind his mother and her friend, briefly listening to snippets of their conversation. He wanted to cry. All the two spoke about were potions and similarly mundane topics. And from what he'd already gleaned, Harry did not like potions. It sounded dull and boring and tedious. Kind of how he felt about Severus…

Harry grinned. His mother would _not _be pleased if he voiced that. But it was true! And she was just as bad around the man. Actually, no, Harry thought she was worse, because she had at least the ability to be interesting. She just chose not to be. All the time Harry had spent with Severus had led him to the conclusion that Severus was not and would not ever be capable of being fun. Of course, that didn't mean Harry couldn't have fun with him.

Soon, the three reached their very first destination. Harry wandered off, letting his mother choose his books for him. The boy had only gotten a few steps away before Snape grabbed his arm.

"You _will not_ wander off to leave your mother to do _your_ shopping." The dark-eyed man hissed into Harry's ear. Harry felt a shudder run down his spine. The man was glaring at him and behind Severus, Lily was looking horrified.

"Severus, Severus, please. It's fine, Harry knows I enjoy doing these things for him." Lily tried to tug free Harry's arm. Apparently Severus was having none of it; he kept glaring straight at Harry. Harry glared right back.

"No Lily, I won't let your son treat you like a servant too."

"But please Severus. I'm his mother, this is what mothers do." Lily tugged frantically at her friend's sleeve. Harry scowled at the other man.

"I love my mother _Severus_," Harry narrowed his eyes. He could feel people stopping to watch the scene that was starting now.

"Severus, please." Snape glared at Harry but complied with Lily in the end. Harry in turn, followed his mother as she searched for his books.

They'd made it through several more shops without incident. Now Harry was carrying magically charmed bags filled with his books, quills, parchment, robes, cauldrons, and potion ingredients. The last stop for their trip would be Harry's wand. It was the only part of the trip that Harry had been looking forward to. Except the ice cream that would inevitably come after the main task of purchasing school supplies had been accomplished.

"Harry dear, are you excited?" Lily was walking in front of Harry with Severus. Harry smiled brilliantly at his mother and nodded. "I know I was excited… I mean having been muggleborn. Getting my wand, it really made it official."

Yes, Harry realized, this made it official. Harry felt a number of emotions swirling as he entered the last shop of the day. Fear, excitement, anxiety; the emotions twisted together forming a knot in his stomach.

Snape, as if realizing this shop was different, made up an excuse about needing to meet someone for butterbeer and drifted away. Lily's face relaxed into that of serene remembrance as she reached towards Harry's hand. Harry in turn, reached for his mother.

"Are you ready sweetie?" Lily felt her son squeeze her hand and saw him nod. She smiled gently at him and the two entered Ollivander's.

Stepping inside the shop, Harry was expected more for such a famous wand-maker. The shop was a little dark, cluttered, and dusty. It smelt musty, as if there had been few visitors within the recent years. And it only served to make Harry more nervous. His mother seemed to sense this and led him towards Ollivander.

"Harry sweetie, I really am very proud of you. You know that right?" Lily whispered softly in Harry's ear. Harry looked at his mum; her eyes were shining wildly with pride, love, and a hint of fear.

"Yes Mum. And you know I love you right?" Lily looked a bit surprised for a second but she squeezed Harry's hand and nodded. Harry felt an overwhelming urge to hug his mother but they'd reached Ollivander now.

The elderly man had been watching them with mysterious silver eyes, a hint of curiosity and knowing tingeing them. He smiled as if he'd been expecting the visit.

"Ah yes, Mr. Potter. I've been expecting you. If you would please be so kind as to hold up your wand arm." Harry felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound of Mr. Ollivander's voice. It was extremely fluid, a little thick at parts, and reminded Harry of liquid silver. Harry complied and watched as magical measuring tapes sized him up, with no one controlling them.

"Mr. Ollivander, it's lovely to see you again." The elderly man's mouth bent and stretched like aged leather rope into a semblance of a smile.

"Ah yes, Lily. Willow, ten and a quarter inches, swishy. Wonderful for charms. It serves you well I hope." Lily nodded eagerly.

"Try this Mr. Potter." Mr. Ollivander seemed to look through a pile of boxes before pulling one out and subsequently a wand. "Twelve inches, oak, springy, unicorn tail."

Harry took the wand, unsure what to do. He grasped the end and gave a half-hearted wave. Before Harry had even moved, Mr. Ollivander grabbed the wand back and handed Harry another one. Again, Harry tried to swish the wand but had it taken away.

The pile of wands grew higher and higher. With each wand tried and failed, Ollivander seemed to get happier.

"A tricky one are we?" Ollivander could barely contain the glee in his voice. He rummaged through the very back of his shop now. Dust permeated the air around them. Harry was growing antsy, and he felt his mother shift beside him.

"Try this odd combination: holly, eleven inches, supple, with a single phoenix tail feather." Harry reached for the wand, exasperated. As soon as his fingers brushed the ends of the wand, sparks lit up the shop in a brilliant display of mini fireworks. Harry was relieved to finally have found his wand. Ollivander looked thoughtful.

When Harry asked the old wand maker what his thoughts were, the elderly turned and glanced at Harry. "I remember every wand I make, every single wand. The phoenix from which the core of your wand derives from gave only one other tail feather. Both these wands have remained untouched for generations, but within the past two days they have both found suitable wizards. Mr. Potter, you would do well to remember it is indeed the wand that chooses the wizard. A wand's power derives from its core and the animal the core is retrieved from. The phoenix that gave the core to your wand is extremely powerful, and as such these wands are extensions of that, if only evidenced by the years they have rejected wizards they found unworthy of bearing them. Brother wands are rare as many animals give either one more numerous cores, and they almost always have a way of finding each other. With the power of your wands, I expect you and the other bearer's paths will meet and you will do great things together or against each other."

A chill ran down Harry's spine. He and his mother hastily paid for his wand and left the shop. But even as he was leaving, Harry could feel Mr. Ollivander's eyes following him.

Harry licked his ice cream and followed his mother and her friend around Diagon Alley. Harry glanced over at the shop they were passing and stopped walking. He chose, instead, to walk over to the display of Quality Quidditch Supplies and ogle the new broom in the window. It was sleek with a well formed handle and carefully plucked straw. The window advertised it as a Nimbus, the fastest broom out yet. Harry could already imagine the feeling of the wind as he dove about on the racing broom.

"Nimbus 2000! Blimey, what I wouldn't do for one of those…" Harry looked over his shoulder to see a familiar face from the previous night. A Weasley if Harry remembered correctly. The other boy seemed to remember his manners because the next second he confirmed Harry's thoughts. "Hello, we met last night briefly. I'm Ron Weasley. You must be Harry Potter."

Harry nodded and reached out to shake the other boy's hand. Harry wasn't certain how to respond. He had relatively little experience dealing with others his own age. Ron didn't seem to notice or mind Harry's silence.

"What do you reckon one of those costs?"

"I'm not sure really. A good pile of galleons I'll bet."

Ron sighed and slumped a bit. "Yeah, it probably does. I doubt I'd ever be able to afford one. Not that we're allowed a broom our first year anyways. Do you think you'll get one?"

Harry shrugged. It didn't matter to him if they weren't allowed brooms their first year. He knew the school supplied decent enough of brooms as it was and it was always possible to borrow one from the older years. As for getting a broom, his mother wasn't terribly fond of him flying; she was much too worried about him getting hurt. Besides, Harry suspected he could convince Sirius to smuggle one for him.

"I'll bet your parents will get you one. Your father played Quidditch in his day. He's probably hoping you'll join the team next year. Besides, your family is rich." Harry could hear the envy drip from the other boy's tone. Harry couldn't think up a reasonable response so he just shrugged again.

"I suppose. My mum's not too fond of me riding a broom though."

"Harry!" As if on cue, Lily appeared besides her son, admonishing him for running off. "No! Harry James Potter, you cannot have a broom. It's dangerous and against the rules to have one as a first year."

Harry turned to look at Ron as if saying 'I told you so.'

"Yes Mr. Potter, please do remember the rules still apply to you." Snape appeared behind Lily and sneered at the younger boy.

"I know Mum. And I will do well to remember Professor Snape." Harry said a polite farewell to his companion and followed his mother back to their home. He did make a mental note to ask Sirius about the broom however. He tried to hide it, but Harry knew that he loved the freedom flying offered.

It was the night before the Hogwarts Express would come and take the students to school. Harry Potter relaxed in bed and read his school books. He'd made his way through the majority of them; it was amazing how focused one could be when both parents were busy at work. James had barely been home the entire week; there had apparently been a few leads on the Caspicus Case. Lily was also extremely busy at St. Mungo's where she worked as head of potion development. And so Remus had volunteered to watch over Harry. The two had spent a large proportion of their time reading books. Remus was a wonderful teacher, and Harry greatly enjoyed working with the older werewolf. Remus had also told Harry was a very fast learner like his mother. They'd read over potions, charms, a bit of transfiguration even. And of course Remus had spent a bit of time going over Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Unbeknownst to Remus, Harry had also been flipping through a book of curses he'd received from a friend. It was interesting, full of hexes to turn people green and the like. Harry doubted that Moony would approve. Despite having been a prankster in his youth, Remus was very quiet and extremely kind and patient. Very much like Harry's mother, Harry realized. _Sort of_, Harry thought with a wry smile, remembering Lily's temper whenever James made a big mess or played a prank or when Harry had done any of those things. Actually, Lily was really only like Remus to strangers. _And Severus_, Harry remembered absently.

Harry's mind drifted to the boy he'd met the night he'd received his acceptance letter. Harry wondered if Tom would be attending Hogwarts as well. _He should be_, Harry decided, _why else would he have been with Dumbledore_. Although it was strange for Headmaster Dumbledore to be seeing to a student himself. Perhaps in the past when Dumbledore was still merely a professor, but as headmaster? Harry thought it was all very peculiar. But at the same time, Harry thought of the boy. Tom himself had been very peculiar. Harry had something very familiar in the presence of Tom. But he couldn't quite place where he'd seen the other boy before if he even had.

The clock struck nine o'clock and as if perfectly timed, the front door opened and slammed shut. Harry puttered out of his room and down the spiraling staircases before making his way to the entrance hall. The white marble of the floor felt cool with every step he took. Standing at the front of the room was a beautiful witch with fiery red locks, though her shoulders were slumped and she had dark circles under her eyes.

"Mum! Welcome home." Harry rushed over and embraced Lily. He hated how his mother was constantly coming home late and exhausted this week. Normally she was back by five or six every day, but this week it had been nine or ten.

"Harry," Lily leaned down and kissed her son of his forehead. Harry smiled as his mother began to talk about her day. The two of them headed towards the kitchen where the house elves were undoubtedly fixing up a meal for their mistress. Remus had already retired to his rooms.

It was twenty minutes before the Hogwarts Express was set to leave. Both Remus and Lily came to see Harry off. The three made their way to Platform 9 ¾. Harry held his breath as he made a run for the barrier to the platform.

"Harry, take care of yourself while you're there." Lily made attempts to straighten her son's hair. But just like his father's, it refused to sit flat.

"Be sure to enjoy yourself Harry. We'll visit when we can." Remus patted Harry on his back.

"Yes Mum, don't worry. And thank you Remus. I'll be sure to write you when I'm there." The three stood on the platform with Harry's cart. Harry had brought a single trunk and a snowy owl, Hedwig, which had been a present from Hagrid for his past birthday. Harry embraced his mum and kissed her on the check and hugged Remus.

"Harry! Wait!" A flurry of black robes ran in front of Harry. James' looked worse for wear, his hair ragged and his eyes sunken in.

"Dad, you came!" Harry wasn't sure what to make of the person in front of him. On one hand he hadn't expected his father to show up today, on the other hand James was certainly here. Lily and Remus seemed to look just as surprised.

James bent down and pulled Harry into a fierce hug. "Of course Harry, I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'm so proud of you son."

Harry bit back the words that were bursting to get free. He chose a more careful path. "I've missed you Dad."

"I know. I've missed you and your mum too. Remember that your mum and I will be proud of you no matter what." James looked tired and worn.

"Even if I blow up all my cauldrons?"

James nodded. "Especially if you blow up your cauldrons. Fifty points if you get Snape in the face."

Harry and his father grinned; both of them enjoyed tormenting Lily's poor friend. Severus was stiff and caustic at best to James, and horribly bossy to Harry. Lily had since given up that her best friend and her family could get along civilly.

"Oh and Harry, get Padfoot for me too."

Harry grinned as he boarded the Hogwarts Express. He hadn't failed to notice, however, how weary his father looked. The usual twinkle in James' eyes was dim, and his shoulders were ever so slightly slumped. And Harry couldn't help but wonder what his father was working on.

Yeah, I know, my characterizations are a bit finicky. Every time I think I know the characters they go and change on me! I'm still playing with the characters and plots in my head; as I've said before, there is no real direction in terms of plot. I have a few things thought out but really this story just goes wherever it wants to. But after this chapter we'll have a bit more fun since Harry is off on his own and such.

stardusted


	3. Chapter 2: Buried Truths

_**Deux  
**__Chapter 2: Buried Truths_

_**Summary**__: Lord Voldemort never existed, or at least, he has yet to exist. Harry Potter begins his first year at Hogwarts, where he forms a tentative friendship with a young orphan named Tom Riddle…_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not nor do I claim any right to any of the recognizable characters or places in this story. They are the property of J. K. Rowling et al._

_**Author's Notes**__: So this is pretty late… I was gone last weekend so I didn't get a chance to write. And my only time to write is weekends. I apologize for this. On a better note, I found a beta!_

After sending Harry off, the couple retreated to the Potter Manor. Remus left them earlier at King's Cross citing a few chores he needed to complete.

"Lily," James warily eyed his wife. The two sat on opposite ends of the living room. Looking at his wife, James realized how unfamiliar she was to him now.

"James, do you think we've done the right thing? Do you think it was alright to let him go to Hogwarts?" _Do you think we'll lose him?_ With each question, Lily took a step closer to James until she stood right beside him. She hadn't asked the last question, but it lingered in both their minds.

Hesitating for a second, James leaned forward tenderly kissed his wife on the cheek. "I honestly don't know Lily. But what else can we do? We can't cage him forever. If there were anyplace he would be safe it would be Hogwarts."

Lily leaned into the arms of her husband, letting his warmth comfort her. _I hope you're right James…_ She closed her eyes and relished in her first moment of peace with her husband. She'd missed him the past few years. But even in that moment, Lily knew this was temporary James would have to leave soon.

Severus took a sip from his crystalline goblet, swirling the dark liquid afterwards. He watched the flames flicker and dance, as he continued to absently drink small swigs of his potion. There were a number of things bothering Severus that day, the very least of them the impending school year. And so he sat contemplating his choices, the light of the fire illuminating the shadows of his face.

Harry managed to claim the last empty compartment on the entire train. And he was pleased as the other compartments had been loud with a few too many explosions for Harry's liking. The whole train was giving him a headache. So Harry Potter sat alone in his own compartment, contently ignoring the presence of all the other students aboard.

Knock knock. Harry sighed, "come in."

The first thing Harry saw was long frizzy brown hair. A girl peered at him, a sheepish grin at her lips, quickly seizing him up before she spoke.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. I was wondering if I could sit here. The other compartments are obnoxious," she added hastily at the end. A small smile tugged at Harry's lips—this girl reminded him of his mother.

"Of course Miss Granger. I'm Harry Potter by the way, pleased to meet your acquaintance," Harry responded. It was a public train and therefore was not within his rights to stop her anyways. Hermione had demonstrated her courtesy by asking his for permission. Harry noticed she struggled with her trunk and quickly helped her secure it into the compartment. Hermione smiled gratefully before sitting down in a seat across from Harry.

"Thanks for that. Are you a first year?" She asked.

Harry nodded, "what about you?"

"Yeah, I'm muggle-born. My parents were really surprised when they suddenly found an owl at our front porch. I was excited getting my letter; no one in my family had heard of Hogwarts before so I took it upon myself to look up as much as I could about it. Did you know that it's considered one of the best schools for magic of the times? My parents were ecstatic to find out I was a witch, first in the family they told me." Hermione beamed at this point in her story. "Hopefully I'll do well, I've already begun reading up on everything. I've also managed a few spells."

"My mum was muggle-born too. She was best in her class, I'm sure you'll be brilliant too." Hermione blushed at the compliment but looked extremely pleased.

"Really? Did both your parents go to Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, they were both Gryffindors."

"Oh! I've read about the different Houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor does seem like the best doesn't it? I hope I'll get in there. Although I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too terrible... Where do you think you'll end up? Gryffindor like your parents?"

Harry hesitated. Truth be told, he wasn't certain where he would wind up. His parents would surely want him in Gryffindor, but Harry wasn't certain if he fit Gryffindor. He wasn't particularly courageous or anything. Really Harry felt he was nothing special, but where did people like that go? _Hufflepuff_, his mind quipped up. No, Harry decided, he would rather go back home than to Hufflepuff. But before Harry could answer Hermione's question, another person intruded.

"Potter will be a Hufflepuff to shame his family." The arrogant drawl was unmistakable.

"Draco!" The blonde leaned lazily against the door of the compartment, smirking.

"Hermione, this is my friend Draco. Draco, this is Hermione Granger, she's a first year like us." Hermione reached out her hand at Harry's introduction.

"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Hermione," Draco bowed formally and brought Hermione's hand to his lips. Hermione looked shell-shocked. Harry bit back a snicker.

Hermione quickly straightened herself out and pulled back her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well Draco. So what house do you believe you'll be in?"

Draco's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Why Slytherin of course. Everyone knows that Slytherin is the superior house. All Malfoys have been in Slytherin, and I certainly will not be one to disgrace my family name. And what of you Miss Granger?"

Draco's eyes flickered to Harry and winked. Harry scowled at _the pompous git_.

"Well, err, I was thinking I wanted to be in Gryffindor," Hermione chewed her lip nervously. She glanced at Harry uncertainly.

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "Gryffindork? Why ever would you actually want to belong to a house full of mindless idiots? Unless of course your parents were in there and expect the same of you."

Harry felt Draco smirk at him. And for a second, Harry couldn't quite remember why they were friends. Draco was such an arse.

"Actually, my parents are—"

"Her parents didn't attend Hogwarts Draco," Harry interjected smoothly. Hermione looked confused at Harry's interruption but didn't complain.

Draco looked thoughtful. "Is that so? I suppose too much time around Potter the model Gryffindork is enough to bring down anyone's intelligence. Isn't that right Harry?"

"Yeah Draco, you're the perfect example of someone whose been around me for too long." Harry smirked as Draco's expression became sullen. It had been too easy.

"So Harry, where do you think you'll end up?" Hermione directed the conversation back to her original question. Harry furrowed his brow for a second, seriously pondering the question again.

"Probably Gryffindor since my parents were both there," he finally admitted. It was true; Harry's parents would expect him to end up in their old house. It was something along the lines of a tradition. Even all his parents' closest friends had been in Gryffindor.

Draco snorted. "Yeah right Potter. You're a Gryffindork like I'm a Hufflepuff."

Hermione was confused. The conversation had redirected itself without her being aware, and when Harry just smiled, she became more confused.

"All the Houses are wonderful and the students brilliant in different ways."

"Except for Gryffindor and Hufflepuff."

Harry rolled his eyes. "If you say so Draco."

"Don't give me that Potter. You can fool your parents, you can fool their friends, you can fool all your other friends, but you can't fool me." Draco smirked for a second and then whispered," I've seen you in ways no one else has, and I can tell a Slytherin when I see one."

"If you want to believe that Draco, I'm not going to stop you."

Draco grinned. "Because you know I'm right."

Harry smirked back, not responding. Hermione hadn't completely followed the conversation but didn't try to make sense of the boys.

The conversation quickly switched to one about the impending year. Hermione opted out of speaking for the most part and listen attentively as the boys discussed professors and courses. Every so often she would contribute a comment but mostly she just nodded and watched with wide eyes.

"Beware of Professor Snape," Harry warned. "He's a complete git and enjoys making people squirm."

"Oh please Potter. You're just angry because he thinks you're a nitwit, which you are," said Draco. Harry opened his mouth to retort but Hermione cut him off.

"Professor Snape teaches Potions right?" Hermione asked as she took a sip from her water bottle. The train ride so far had been extremely smooth, although Hermione suspected it was a spell used on the trains. She was thankful, however, since she normally had motion sickness issues.

Draco nodded, "best bloody Potions Master in the world too. Hey Harry, do you know who's taking over the Defense position?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Sirius is."

Draco's eyes widened, and a look of horror spread over his face. "No, not that bludger. They're actually letting _him_ near children?"

Hermione pulled out a book; she was out of the loop again and instead of wasting time trying to comprehend the boys, she would brush up on coursework.

Harry scowled. "He was a brilliant Auror Malfoy."

"Yeah, and he has the mind of a three year-old."

"I don't know how I stand you sometimes."

"You're actually quite enamored by me Harry. Don't worry, I would be too if I were you."

Harry snorted, but before he could respond there came another knock at the door. The door slowly swung open, revealing Neville standing with a boy Harry had seen once before.

"Hey Harry, look who I ran into!" Neville beamed, gesturing to his companion. Tom stood with his dark hair falling into his eyes, arms crossed, and no emotion on his face.

"Great, Can't-Find-His-Bottom is here." Harry heard Draco mutter. Neville's eyes flickered to Draco and a dark look appeared.

"Malfoy," Neville said coolly.

Draco sneered and stood up. "I'll talk to you later Potter. You know how sensitive I am to the slightest bit of filth," he said and walked out. Tom's gaze steadily followed Draco until the blonde shut the door of the compartment.

Hermione tugged at the collar of her t-shirt. "Well that was unexpected." No one responded to her.

"Why was Malfoy here Harry?" Neville asked, his eyes flashing.

"Just talking Neville. Don't worry so much," Harry responded with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"Harry, the Malfoys are Dark. You shouldn't be messing with one of them," Neville said.

Hermione put down the book she was reading, her interest peaked. "What do you mean by Dark?" she asked.

Neville blinked in surprise; he'd failed to notice her. Harry blinked also; he'd also apparently forgotten about Hermione.

"Oh hey Neville, this is Hermione Granger. She's muggle-born and going to be in our year. Hermione, this is Neville Longbottom; we've known each other for a long time."

"Nice to meet you Hermione. Oh! This is Tom Riddle," Neville directed towards the silent boy. Tom nodded politely but did not say anything.

"It's nice meeting the both of you as well. But my question again if you don't mind," Hermione shook Neville's hand and nodded awkwardly at Tom.

"Magic tends to be divided into two categories: Dark and Light. Dark wizards are that who practice Dark magic; that is magic which is sinister and vicious. Light wizards practice light magic which is more often defensive and protective. The Malfoys are an old pureblood Dark Wizarding family and they are great proponents of power and blood purity, which is why I stopped you from saying you were Muggle-born," Harry explained.

"Does the Wizarding World care about that?" Hermione asked, biting her lip nervously.

"Not really. Only the older Dark Wizarding families are obsessed. But families like that are rare and almost always in Slytherin anyways," Neville responded with a reassuring smile.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in thought. She nodded apprehensively but asked no more questions. Harry took this to mean she needed more time to mull over everything she'd just learned and would ask him questions later.

"So Harry, are you a pureblood?" Tom asked. Harry started; he'd forgotten about Tom.

"Er no, but Neville is." Tom looked thoughtful.

"Why were you talking to Malfoy anyways? I'm sure your parents must have pointed them out and told you to stay away." Neville remembered the other boy again.

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "I guess I must've forgotten or something. Don't worry about it Neville."

Harry glanced over and saw Hermione narrowing her eyes at him. He gave her a desperate look and she didn't say anything. Neville paused—his gazed focused on Harry who only stared back innocently.

"Why does it matter Neville?" Tom asked. Harry studied Tom; the other boy wore no expression, he simply sat impassively.

Neville flushed. "Well it doesn't really… Just you have to be careful sometimes," Neville finally responded. He glanced at his watch. "We should head back Tom, we need to get dressed. Almost at Hogwarts. See you guys in a bit."

"It was nice meeting you Hermione. Harry," Tom's eyes held Harry's for a moment before he abruptly followed Neville, leaving the remaining two occupants to rummage through their trunks.

There was a nervous tension amongst the First Years as they scuffled into Great Hall. Harry felt his stomach tighten as he glanced up towards the Head Table. A battered, dingy hat sat on a stool.

"That's the Sorting Hat," he whispered to Hermione, pointing it out. Hermione seemed anxious and fidgeted with her robes.

"What do we—" The entire Great Hall fell silent as the Sorting Hat began its song. Hermione's jaw dropped watching the Hat use what had appeared to be a large rip as a mouth.

_Oh you may not think me pretty, _

_But don't judge on what you see, _

_I'll eat myself if you can find _

_A smarter hat than me. _

_You can keep your bowlers black, _

_Your top hats sleek and tall, _

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat _

_And I can cap them all. _

_There's nothing hidden in your head _

_The Sorting Hat can't see, _

_So try me on and I will tell you _

_Where you ought to be. _

_You might belong in Gryffindor, _

_Where dwell the brave at heart, _

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry _

_Set Gryffindors apart; _

_You might belong in Hufflepuff, _

_Where they are just and loyal, _

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true _

_And unafraid of toil; _

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, _

_if you've a ready mind, _

_Where those of wit and learning, _

_Will always find their kind; _

_Or perhaps in Slytherin _

_You'll make your real friends, _

_Those cunning folks use any means _

_To achieve their ends. _

_So put me on! Don't be afraid! _

_And don't get in a flap! _

_You're in safe hands (though I have none) _

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

As soon as the Hat bellowed its last chords, the Great Hall burst into applause. Harry nearly bounced up and down as he clapped for the song; the magic of Hogwarts hypnotizing him. He hazily remembered Hermione and Neville clapping beside him. And then Professor McGonagall began calling names to the front.

"_Granger, Hermione._"

Hermione looked so startled, almost as if she'd forgotten her own name and she half tripped over herself on her way to the stool. Harry heard Neville sigh amidst the smattering of applause from her House table when she was sorted into Gryffindor.

"_Longbottom, Neville._"

Neville casually strode up and place the Sorting Hat on his head. It sat on for the briefest second before it pronounced Neville a Gryffindor and he was herded over to the Gryffindor table again amidst polite clapping. Harry ignored his environment as he waited for his turn. He was dimly aware as Draco was sorted into Slytherin, to no one's surprise.

"_Potter, Harry._" Harry sauntered up and plopped onto the stool. He was glad everyone seemed too distracted to stare at him. Then his view was blocked as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head.

"_Ah, a Potter is it? Your family's been in Gryffindor for many generations now._"

"_Then put me in Gryffindor._" Harry was relieved to say the least; he dreaded trying to explain to his parents if he wasn't in Gryffindor. The Hat gave something akin to a chuckle that unsettled Harry.

"_Ah, but it's not that simple young Potter. No, I think it'd best be _SLYTHERIN_._"

Harry froze to the chair. He could hear the standard patter of claps but he did not rise to walk to his House table. Harry stayed glued to the chair, his eyes wide. Harry's first reaction was to look at Neville; sure enough the Gryffindor wore an expression that mirrored Harry's own.

"Harry, please move." Professor McGonagall rushed over, her voice a frantic whisper as she tried to lead Harry to the Slytherin table. Her touch seemed to help Harry realize he was sitting at the front of the Great Hall when he shouldn't be and he managed to stiffly march over to the Slytherin table and sit down next to Draco. Harry's mind glazed over so he didn't notice when Draco prattled happily about being in the same House as Harry nor when Tom Riddle was sorted into Slytherin.

This isn't as good as I'd wanted it to be, I'm sorry! I was rushed towards the end to get this out in a timely manner, even when I wasn't in the writing mood. The ending also took a different twist than I'd anticipated, but I think it might be for the better. Hopefully the next chapter will have a bit more action and move faster. I'm really sorry about how slow everything's going right now; I think I'm trying a bit too hard to set everything up all at once and it makes things drag on… Anyways, I just really wanted to get this out since I've been trying to keep to a schedule. Hopefully next time it will go better.

stardusted


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